


I'm living for giving the devil his due

by orphan_account



Series: Smalltown Superhero [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-30
Updated: 2012-05-30
Packaged: 2017-11-06 08:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/416834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone's a little desperate, and no one wants to flinch. Merlin's tired of playing the game. </p><p>So he won't anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm living for giving the devil his due

**Author's Note:**

> The title for part VII of Smalltown Superhero is from Blue Oyster Cult’s Burn Out the Day. This is the final piece for this series, so far as I know. I might do the occasional one-shot for it, but I haven't decided yet. Thanks to all of you who’ve followed it to this point, and hi to those of you who are just discovering it! And now, on to the finale.

He should have known that they were being watched. Why else would she have taken the risk of kidnapping her half-brother more than a month ago, unless she knew that he was getting close to the truth? Crazed as she had become, she was still smarter than that.  
  
Cutting off his self-recriminations, he assessed their situation much the same as he would take in a natural disaster or a magical crime scene.  
  
Soft carpet cushioned his admittedly bony backside, and the scents of newsprint and coffee filled his nose. Solid and stoic, Arthur’s broad shoulders and back pressed against Merlin’s own. Ever-so-subtly, Merlin maneuvered his bound hands to lace through his companion’s. He breathed in, slow and deep, and glared defiantly up at the Faerie Queen. The witch grinned down at the pair, as a snake would bare her fangs before opening up her throat and devouring a helpless meal.   
  
The joke was on her.  
  
“Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I have no preference. The easy way would be much faster, the hard way would be more... fun. So it’s up to you. Will you, or will you not convince Uther to drop the article from tomorrow’s paper?” Had she always sounded so smug? Merlin didn’t think so.  
  
The sound of Arthur’s teeth grinding together was at once heartening and amusing. If he could still feel anger, he would be alright. Arthur was never one to break when things became difficult.  
  
Merlin’s glare shifted, becoming something devious, practically daring her to do something she would most certainly regret. In the last few days, he had come to the realization that his secret identity no longer mattered - not where the Penn siblings were concerned. Let them find out the truth. He’d survived Arthur’s stress over the investigation - surely he could make it through his reaction to this secret, too. “Mmm. I don’t know, Morgana. It’s such a lovely piece, really. It has betrayal, intrigue, political corruption - it’s practically going to fly off the racks once it’s published.”  
  
Her face twisted, nostrils flaring and eyes blazing. “Don’t call me that! You no longer have the right.”  
  
“Why not, _Morgana?_ ” Arthur intoned, all false innocence and saccharine sweetness. Yes, Arthur would be fine.  
  
Mouth forming a firm line, she demanded, “Is this your answer? You would defy me, even now? Now that you are helpless against me?”  
  
He tilted his head to the side and said loftily, “I don’t know - what about you, Arthur? You feeling like caving?”  
  
“When we’re having so much fun? No, Merlin, I couldn’t possibly.” Beneath the bravado, there was a firm squeeze of both Merlin’s hands. He pressed back and turned to face the Faerie Queen once more.  
  
“Fine then,” she uttered in a poor imitation of acceptance, “we’ll see how stubborn you are while the building burns down around you.” The color of her eyes for once matched the fire that lurked within, and then that fire was everywhere - the walls, the ceiling, the computers, the carpet - everywhere but the Faerie Queen herself.   
  
As she waited for their screams - either in fear or acquiescence, she cared little - Merlin grinned fiercely up at her and just like that, the flames disappeared, leaving the newsroom exactly as it had been before. Their hands were unbound, and still maintaining his hold upon his partner’s, Merlin stood, bringing Arthur up with him. “You really shouldn’t have done that, Morgana.”  
  
Arthur released one of Merlin’s hands and came up beside him, barely in time to catch the gold fading from his eyes. He quirked an eyebrow that promised a long and uncomfortable discussion later, then chanced a look at his half-sister, whose face had turned positively ashen with shock and poorly concealed fear. “Well, this is awkward.”  
  
He felt the change in the air as the Faerie Queen prepared to disappear, and used his own magic to interfere. “No, please stay,” he crooned. “We’ve barely even started.”  
  
By the time he had placed the specially crafted cuffs upon her wrists and passed her off to the authorities with the assurance that she would pose no threat, so long as she continued to wear them, Merlin could tell that Arthur’s righteous fury from before was starting to flag. In its place was a slightly overwhelmed, lost demeanor, and Merlin cautiously put an arm around him, shock blanket and all, glad that no one could see them in the back of the ambulance. It had been slightly odd, putting on The Suit while Arthur looked on earlier, but there was no way Merlin Emrys could be the one to arrest the Faerie Queen, and so he had risked changing while he had her incapacitated.   
  
Swallowing, Arthur leaned closer and informed him, “I’m very angry with you, by the way.”  
  
Was that supposed to be news? “I know.”  
  
“I expect lots of groveling in the near future.”  
  
“Figured that one out, too.”  
  
“You are in _very_ deep sh-” Merlin cut him off, covering Arthur’s irritated mouth with his own, enjoying the startled noise the action elicited, and then merely enjoying the kiss itself. From the way Arthur tilted his head, he enjoyed it, too. Pulling back, Arthur breathed in sharply. “Do you kiss every person you save if they don’t immediately fall at your feet in gratitude?”  
  
Merlin snorted. “If I did that it would be all over the news in seconds. Besides, you’ve always been a bit of a special case.”  
  
Trying and failing to hide his pleasure at this, Arthur told him, “As long as it stays that way.”  
  
“Always.” Biting his lip, Merlin debated with himself before asking, “Would you like to come see my azaleas?”  
  
Arthur’s face was a study in emotions - hilarity, incredulity, resignation, satisfaction. Finally, he laughed and allowed, “Sure - if that’s code for something else. Idiot.”  
  
 _Prat_. “Someone’s forward.”  
  
Eyes burning softly, Arthur told him, “Only because I know what I want.”


End file.
